Concern Over Choice Of Superintendent
The following message came to Finding Ulysses yesterday:
I write today because I am reaching out to the T-burg community regarding an important local issue that is quietly moving along very quickly.
A brief note was posted on the T-burg school home page this week that suggests a single candidate is being considered to replace our outgoing school superintendent. There will be a closed meeting on May 8th and an open community meeting May 12th to present the current High School Principal, Paula Hurley, as this candidate. The note suggests that these groups will provide feedback to the board of education “prior to any final decision.”
I firmly believe a broader search, that includes interested internal candidates, would be in the best interest of our school community. This issue could be closed very quickly if it remains below the radar screen of the people of T-burg.
______________________________
Paul Bartishevich
President/CEO
Finger Lakes Productions International
119 S. Cayuga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Ph: (607) 275-9400
pbart@flpradio.comhttp://www.flpradio.com
Here’s the message from the Trumansburg Schools:
Trumansburg Looks Internally for Chief
The Trumansburg Board of Education with the guidance of their search consultant, TST BOCES DS Dr. Ellen O’Donnell, is in the process of evaluating the candidacy of an internal candidate, Paula Hurley. Ms Hurley has been principal of Charles O. Dickerson High School for the past four years.
On Thursday, May 8 and Monday, May 12 stakeholder groups will have an opportunity to evaluate her candidacy through an interview process.
Plans are being made to have representative teachers, support staff, administration and students interview and hear a short presentation from Ms. Hurley on May 8.
Interested community members will have a similar opportunity to ask questions relative to her preparation and vision for the future of the Trumansburg District. This will take place on May 12 at 7:00 PM in the Elementary Auditorium.
These groups will provide feedback to the Board of Education prior to any final decision.
I could not agree more with Paul Bartishevich- it appears that some elements of the board wish to push Hurley’s candidacy forward without considering any other candidates. I have not been impressed with Hurley’s tenure as high school principal- the only advantage I see in moving her to superintendent would be to relieve the HS from her heavy-handed direct administration.
So is the complaint here about process or about Ms. Hurley? I sometimes find that people like to raise process issues during searches like this when what they really object to is a particular person. On its face, the process here doesn’t seem flawed to me (of course it could become flawed in practice). Although it’s hard to say from the brief note on the school web site cited by Mr. President/CEO B, it looks like they’re seeking input and proceeding in an accessible public way. Nothing hidden here. So where does Mr. President/CEO B get the “quietly moving along very quickly” stuff. Hmmmm. Rumor and innuendo that we’re just supposed to accept because he says it? In terms of Ms. Hurley, I’m sure you don’t make everyone happy as a Principal. I mean, I’ve even listened to people who don’t like Carolyn Lange at the elementary school! So, an unsubstantiated comment like Mr. Thomas’ about “heavy-handed direct administration” seems more like a personal vendeta than a constructive comment.
Maybe the process will lead to the selection of Ms. Hurley, maybe not. Right now, however, the process looks open, transparent, and accessible to me. Does someone have information about secret, quiet, hidden, opaque, covert goings on that they’d be willing to lay out without just resorting to innuendo?
Hey, Dick:
I sent an e-mail message from my office and my name and title automatically appeared at the bottom of it. I’m at least, as you say, “transparent.”
Your sarcasm and demeanor encourages me. Introduce yourself to me sometime.
Sincerely,
Mr. President/CEO B
Richard,
I can’t find this brief note by “President/CEO B” on the school website. Where is this, and who is he, and who are you?
Dick,
Oh, I get it. You weren’t referring to the school website, you were referring to Paul Bartishevich’s post above.
Anyhow, I hear that the board could, if they had wanted, just appointed Hurley without input, but they have decided to let the public have a crack at her first. Apparently, the board has agreed that she is the logical choice, or they wouldn’t be having this public meeting, May 12 at 7:00 PM in the Elementary Auditorium
It’s rare (in fact in our district’s recent history unheard of) to even know who MIGHT be candidates at this point in the search. My point here is that this innuendo about flaws in the process seems completely misplaced. Which in turn leads me to suspect that Mr. President/CEO B (who doesn’t know how his office e-mail works) has a problem with Ms. Hurley, not with the process. Of course, I could be wrong on this, but I think it’s suspicious enough to at least raise the possibility.
Doesn’t appear that external searches work out very well judging by the short term super we have now. Also I hear that Paula Hurley is actually willing to stick by the school rules and not always be run over by parents who think their kids can do no wrong. Perhaps an already working (actually in this school system) person who is already committed to this area is a good choice and not one to be taken lightly. The board might be making a good choice here and save a lot of aggravation in searches which seemed interminable in the past. And we see the result of that move now. Perhaps better to do the internal search after all.
I agree with Richard and Barry. It certainly appears that Paul is the one with the hidden agenda. Did you have a situation where your child was held accountable Paul? I have had four kids go through Trumansburg, 3 in the Delaney/Furey years and 1 under the current administration. Hurley is my choice as she represents everything Delaney did when he first arrived (you have to have lived here that long to make that comparison and I have). We have someone internally who wants to stick around and make positive changes for Trumansburg who could ask for more?
hey all, what’s with the footbridge behind the post office being all boarded up?
Jon,
Are you okay? It’s been many weeks since any postings here. I’m missing them and worrying about you and your safety.
Marianne
Marianne,
Thanks for your concern. Don’t worry for my safety, though. I’m just overwhelmed with work.
Worry about my sleep. I’ve had to cut back to essential work and family tasks for a while, in order to get them take care of. I work as a consultant and with my own small business, and things just get that way sometimes.
I’ll be back up and writing here again soon. In the meantime, check out the article by Michelle Paolillo she wrote this evening, about the upcoming meeting in the Fire Hall about ambulance service.